Recently bought a '73 3.0

wonk

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Hey Folks!

Nice to meet everyone. Just joined here

I recently bought a silver '73 3.0CS (pics to follow - I pick it up next week) and there are a few fixes and tasteful upgrades I know I would like to do.

I was hoping could get direction on sourcing a few parts:

-Rubber gasketing for the rear passenger windows? These windows were going down very slowly and I realized it was because the window rubber was getting pulled down into the door. These are looking pretty rough. Right where B pillar should be.

-Replacement roundels on C pillar? These got a little worn. I would keep originals but for my use I would want to replace them.

-Quality trunk liner?

-I searched the forums and, while I found mentions of this car, did not see anyone talk about what kind of air dam / front spoiler this guy specifically put on his car. The H&R guy in germany, black rig, featured on stanceworks. I am attaching photo. I would like to take the 5mph bumper off the car and put on a front end like this. Anyone know where this came from?

-If I wanted to upgrade the steering wheel to a wood one (like a Nardi from same era) is there a specific requirement for mounting pattern?

-The piece of dash trim under the steering wheel is not in great shape. Is there anyone producing aftermarket or has a repository of second hand ones? I have a dark blue interior.

-Additionally - going back to the H&R photo - does anyone have experience with 17" BBS rims on this car and the proper tires to use for a good ride? Also would the coilover job help out?

Thanks for everyones help. Super psyched about this car!

f
 

wonk

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Ooops

Here are photos of H&R guys car re: front end and the wheels
 

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sfdon

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IMHO- 17” wheels can turn you car into a rattle trap.
In Tire Rack speak, a 17” wheel is a +3 fitment.

From the inter web-

The Con’s – The first thing that comes to mind is the loss of suspension. By decreasing the side wall of the tire, you will increase the effect of road bumps, pot holes, expansion joints and all the other deformities of our roads and highways. Road noise will be increased also. In addition to the loss of ride comfort, you will also experience a loss of free time. I come to this conclusion based on the theory that the bigger the wheel, the more time it requires to keep it shining. Another Con is the tire mounting folks that have to put these tires on these wheels (20″ and up) aren’t real thrilled with the whole concept.

A few things to beware of when choosing to Plus Size. The larger the diameter of the wheel, the more difficult it is to meet the load requirements for a safe and reliable wheel. Some manufacturers solve the problem by adding material to the wheel so it will pass the performance standards (see TECH Stuff 3). By adding material, the weight of the wheel becomes heavier than the suspension the vehicle is designed to take and function properly. The tire and wheel are considered unsprung weight, and can cause excessive wear on the struts or shocks, bearings, spindles and brake systems.
 

autokunst

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Welcome. I believe Walloth Nesch has replacement seals for the window-to-window transition. I just ordered them myself, but it will be some time before I install.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your coupe!
 

adawil2002

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OEM tire Size: 195/70/14 – dia. 24.7”, 77.7” circ, rev / mile = 815

Substitutes: 205/60/15 – dia. 24.7”, 77.6” circ, rev / mile = 817

Substitutes: 225/55/15 – dia. 24.7”, 77.7” circ, rev / mile = 815

Substitutes: 205/55/16 – dia. 24.9”, 78.2” circ, rev / mile = 811

Substitutes: 225/50/16 – dia. 24.9” 78.1” circ, rev / mile = 811

Substitutes: 245/40/17 – dia. 24.7”, 77.6” circ, rev / mile = 816

Hey Folks!

Nice to meet everyone. Just joined here

I recently bought a silver '73 3.0CS (pics to follow - I pick it up next week) and there are a few fixes and tasteful upgrades I know I would like to do.

I was hoping could get direction on sourcing a few parts:

-Rubber gasketing for the rear passenger windows? These windows were going down very slowly and I realized it was because the window rubber was getting pulled down into the door. These are looking pretty rough. Right where B pillar should be.
Windows are notoriously slow, 3 seconds in each direction according to the blue BMW book. Try WallothNesch.com for parts.

-Replacement roundels on C pillar? These got a little worn. I would keep originals but for my use I would want to replace them.
New C pillar roundels are available, colors are not correct, they look purple.

-Quality trunk liner?
The grey stuff?

-I searched the forums and, while I found mentions of this car, did not see anyone talk about what kind of air dam / front spoiler this guy specifically put on his car. The H&R guy in germany, black rig, featured on stanceworks. I am attaching photo. I would like to take the 5mph bumper off the car and put on a front end like this. Anyone know where this came from?
Air dam is modified Alpina chin spoiler.

-If I wanted to upgrade the steering wheel to a wood one (like a Nardi from same era) is there a specific requirement for mounting pattern?
Need a Nardi hub with course splines.

-The piece of dash trim under the steering wheel is not in great shape. Is there anyone producing aftermarket or has a repository of second hand ones? I have a dark blue interior.
No reproductions, best thing to do is try to repair it.

-Additionally - going back to the H&R photo - does anyone have experience with 17" BBS rims on this car and the proper tires to use for a good ride? Also would the coilover job help out?
Max recommended wheel size on these cars is 16". See tire conversion chart. Coilovers are in my opinion a waste of money on CS coupes. A set of Carl Nelson springs, negative camber plates, rolled fenders and big sway bars are really all you need. Metal fatigue is a real concern with these cars. Advise reinforcing the rear shock tower tops.

Thanks for everyones help. Super psyched about this car!

f
 

teahead

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I have 17", 40-series tires on my beater Mercedes 300CE. Rides just fine. Going over railroad tracks,potholes, no big deal.

Want a Lexus ride, buy a Lexus.

Spring rate/shock valving I feel will have more to do with ride (unless you go low with 25-series tires of course).

Trunk liners, do a search. There's a thread now regarding repops from Poland. They look pretty good!

You want a Nardi wheel, you'll need a Nardi-pattern hub for an E9 with the proper horn ring. Seen plenty on Ebay.
 

Steven

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Ooops

Here are photos of H&R guys car re: front end and the wheels

Definitely and interesting front air dam...haven’t seen one like it. Would also be curious but have to wonder if it’s custom.
 

Ohmess

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Wonk -- The transmission of more harshness and vibration from bumps, holes, expansion joints and road deformities can also have an effect on the longevity of the car. And last time I was in New York City, I didn't see a whole lot of smooth tarmac.

Neither the design of the original structural nor the materials used in its execution are anywhere near what you find in modern BMWs. These cars are now 50 years old. And if you have had rust and/or rust repairs the strength of the original materials may be compromised.

Members here have had rear shock towers fail and cracking where the differential mounts to the body. Some have even had to install adjustable camber plates because their cars were not straight enough to allow a good front end alignment. There are aftermarket parts available to help shore up the front and rear shock towers and the differential mount for a reason.

I think going to 17s is way too far. I'm running 15s on my car.
 

JamesE30

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The front Spoiler is Alpina (design). There are two variations, as far as I know this style is the early model version.

E9A161ED-701C-4EAF-816F-9BDA2AED15B3.jpeg
A43E74A9-9554-4C73-A014-E65FC2D052B4.jpeg



And the late version, with brake ducts
F8C64F65-42B6-43D8-87F1-31F24F034F95.jpeg
 

rsporsche

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Hey Folks!

Nice to meet everyone. Just joined here

I recently bought a silver '73 3.0CS (pics to follow - I pick it up next week) and there are a few fixes and tasteful upgrades I know I would like to do.

I was hoping could get direction on sourcing a few parts:

-Rubber gasketing for the rear passenger windows? These windows were going down very slowly and I realized it was because the window rubber was getting pulled down into the door. These are looking pretty rough. Right where B pillar should be.

-Replacement roundels on C pillar? These got a little worn. I would keep originals but for my use I would want to replace them.

-Quality trunk liner?

-I searched the forums and, while I found mentions of this car, did not see anyone talk about what kind of air dam / front spoiler this guy specifically put on his car. The H&R guy in germany, black rig, featured on stanceworks. I am attaching photo. I would like to take the 5mph bumper off the car and put on a front end like this. Anyone know where this came from?

-If I wanted to upgrade the steering wheel to a wood one (like a Nardi from same era) is there a specific requirement for mounting pattern?

-The piece of dash trim under the steering wheel is not in great shape. Is there anyone producing aftermarket or has a repository of second hand ones? I have a dark blue interior.

-Additionally - going back to the H&R photo - does anyone have experience with 17" BBS rims on this car and the proper tires to use for a good ride? Also would the coilover job help out?

Thanks for everyones help. Super psyched about this car!

f
Wonk, welcome to the forum
if you just bought a '73, it shouldn't have the 5 mph big bumpers, it should have the 2.5mph chrome bumpers like most coupes. if you have the big diving board bumpers then it must be a '74. the 2.5 mph chrome bumpers only stick out an extra inch or so ... and can mostly be remedied by putting on earlier brackets although the whole in the side of the fenders might need to be moved. fixing the big bumpers requires filling some bigger holes for the bumper shocks. the alpina style spoiler won't cover the holes but the CSL spoiler might.

if the rear windows are going down slow, its probably not the rubber ... its probably solidified grease in the tracks / window motors. a bit of cleaning and regreasing should solve most of the issues ... then replacing the rubber while you are in there makes sense. the next thing that you can do is to rewire your motors - run power directly from the battery and use a relay so that the power that did serve the motors just powers the switch. there are some drawings on the forum that you can search for. some of the rubber is available from BMW, most of it is available from Walloth Nesch

you will find that the new c pillar roundels might not fit properly. there are also 2 styles - the cloisonne (early) and painted (late). you will have to determine what you have. the cloisonne have gold / bronze BMW. if you buy painted ones, buy from BMW

trunk liner ... please be more specific. are you talking about recovering the floor boards / trunk lid covers? they are wood covered in a vinyl called elephant skin. some of these are available from Christoph Bier at CS Werk in Germany. you can also buy the cover for the rear light panel as well. if money is an issue it is probably cheaper to buy the vinyl (from BMW) and recover yourself. it takes about 3m of elephant skin.

the under dash trim is NLA - you can use a strong glue / contact cement and reattach the cover with a lot of clamps. the under dash panels are all black - not the color of your interior. the best way to refinish the vinyl is to use SEM color coat - satin black ... or landau black.

nardi wheels are available from a few sources, generally the hard part is getting a nice BMW horn button.

bbs wheels - 17's will fit, but i think 16's are the better choice. regardless you will need to roll the fender arches and probably put camber plates in. we typically use 7" (et11) fronts / 8" rears (et 24). the best person to get RS wheels redone is Paul Ehrlich (Ehrlich wheel works) www.ewheelworks.us
 

Mmshul

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IMHO- 17” wheels can turn you car into a rattle trap.
In Tire Rack speak, a 17” wheel is a +3 fitment.

Your comment had me thinking you were describing the track surface at Sebring.....”you will increase the effect of road bumps, pot holes, expansion joints and all the other deformities”....
 
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